Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections (On the Road)

Mint On The Road
Jan 28 2012-Aug 19 2012
/ Featuring nearly 100 works of art that span the career of this internationally renowned, Charlotte-born artist, underscoring not only Bearden's artistic mastery, but also his development of narrative and thematic explorations of his native South.

About The Exhibition

Exhibition Schedule

Featuring nearly 100 works of art that span the career of this internationally renowned, Charlotte-born artist, underscoring not only Bearden's artistic mastery, but also his development of narrative and thematic explorations of his native South.

Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections includes nearly 100 works of art that span the career of this internationally renowned, Charlotte‐born artist. The exhibition and subsequent national tour underscore not only Bearden’s artistic mastery, particularly in the technique of collage, but also his development of narrative and thematic explorations of his native South. Collages, paintings, watercolors, and prints will be assembled from The Mint Museum’s collection, as well private and public collections.

Southern Recollections will opens on the centennial of Bearden’s birth, and examines how the South served as a source of inspiration throughout his career. This important theme has never before been explored in any previous exhibition or writings on the artist. The exhibition includes large thematic groupings, such asThe Prevalence of Ritual, which includes many works that refer to Bearden’s childhood home in rural Mecklenburg County. Some elements seen in this series are repeated throughout Bearden’s oeuvre, serving as icons for his statements about life in America. One such icon is the railroad, which not only symbolizes a means of moving from one place/mode of life to another, but also references the Underground Railroad, as well as the migration of Southern blacks to Northern cities in the early 20th century.

Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections will travel nationally to two venues following its debut at the Mint.